Buttonhole guide and clamp



(No Model.)

B. J..NEUENSGHWANDER.

BUTTONHOLEGU-IDE AND CLAMP. No. 579,601. Patented Mar. 30,1897.

l'm mtor:. MW Bert/zdJ/Vuensclzwander THE NORRIS PEYERS co, FMOYO-LITHO, wasnmcmu. 04 c.

the parallel jaws of said spring-plates; and

ATENT union.

BERTHA J. NEUENSCHWANDER, OF VERA CRUZ, INDIANA.

BUTTONHOLE GUIDE AND CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,601, dated March 30, 1897. Application filed July 27, 1896. Serial No. 600,681. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BERTHA J. NEUEN- soHWnNDER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Vera Cruz, in the county of WVells and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in But tonhole Guides and Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices used for clamping the material while Working buttonholes.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, strong, inexpensive, and effective device whichwill securely hold the cloth without slipping or drawing the material out of shape, to which ends my improvement consists in a clamp formed in a novel manner, as will hereinafter appear, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a guide and clamping device for working buttonholes embodying my invention and shown as applied to the material at the edge of an unworked buttonhole; Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view, enlarged, of a spring-plate forming the inner contactsurfaces of the device detached; Fig. 3, an enlarged perspective view of said spring-plate detached. Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views in perspective of the handle and cover sections made to fit over Fig. 6, a crosssection, enlarged, of the handle and cover and spring plates enlarged and representing the perforating-pins secured to one of said jaws and passing through register-holes in the opposing jaw.

The spring-plate 1, having parallel jaws 2 and 3 and a spring-bow 4 formed integral, is made of hardened spring-steel and forms the main structural element of the device, which will have sufficient strength and rigidity to hold the heaviest cloth firmly and which may also be sufiicicntly light and compact to receive without injury the lightest and most frail fabrics and hold them securely.

To give increased tenacity and absolute security from slipping when the clamping-jaws are once affixed to the fabric, it has been found highly advantageous to employ finelydrawn steel perforatingpins 5 6, some of which, 5, are secured to one of said jaws, and

other pins 6 are secured to the opposite of fit in countersunk holes in the jaws 2 and 3, j

and are cheaply and easily fitted and securely held thereon by handle and cover plates 8 and 9 of like construction, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each being made of sheet metal, preferably aluminium, with their twoside edges S 9 turned at an angle toward each other to fit as a dovetail groove over the jaws of the springplate, and also turned down at the end .8 9 to limit the end movement of the said handle and cover plates upon the jaws. The neck between the handle and cover portions of the plates 8 9 is slotted at 8 9 to receive the bow 4 of the spring-plate, the said handles 8 9 having sufficient elasticity to spring over the bow at of the plate 1, and, together with the turned-down ends 8 9*, will securely hold the cover and handle plates onto the spring-plate after the pins 5 6 have been dropped in place, and thus securely hold all the parts together without riveting or otherwise weakening the parts thus formed and fitted together.

The operation of the guide-clamp will be readily understood. It is first placed upon the garment or fabric alongside the place out or marked for the buttonhole so that one of the sides or unsewed edges of the buttonhole will be a suiiicient distance therefrom to enable the needle to take well hold of the material, the side and rounded edge of the holder serving as a guide for the needle and insur ing both accuracy and expedition in working'the buttonhole. When one side and the rounded end of a buttonhole have been thus worked, the clamp may be removed and placed upon the opposite unworked side of the buttonhole, which latter may be worked in the usual Way.

The construction herein shown is light, strong, inexpensive, and secure in its attachment, the perforating-pins insuring absolute accuracy in the adjustment and retention of the clamp upon the material.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A buttonhole-working guide and clamp, comprising a perforated U shaped clampingplate, pins fitted into and secured to said perforations and coverand handle plates fitted upon the U-shaped clamping-plate to open and close the same and hold the pins in place, substantially as described.

2. A buttonhole-working guide and clamp,

comprising a spring-plate having clampingjaws 2, 3, and spring-bow 4E, and cover and handle plates fitted over the said jaws and provided With slots 8, 9, to receive the said spring-bow, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

BERTHA J. NEUENSOHWANDER.

WVitnesses:

HERMANN SOHOEMER, FRANCES BEBERSTINE. 

